About a month and a half ago, the Woodland Wolves played Pioneer to a 3-3 draw that left more questions than answers for the three-time defending Section champions. It was the most goals they’d given up all season and the third came inside the final five minutes of the game. Woodland Head Coach Andres Olmedo told his team afterwards he thought they might lose that game and lamented mental lapses, stating that part of the Wolves’ game was his biggest concern. Sitting in third place in the Tri-County Conference after the tie, it was a key moment in the season which required a strong and decisive response.

Respond they did.

Woodland finished the season 12-0-1, winning a fourth straight Section championship along the way and on Saturday a CIF NorCal Division II title with a 2-1 triumph over The Branson School.

The Wolves have thrived on the dramatic throughout the playoffs and Saturday at Branson’s field nestled in the hills of San Rafael was no different.

The Wolves survived an early scare when goal keeper Mackenzie Hatanaka vacated the goal to make a tackle along the sideline. She missed, leaving the goal open and Woodland was saved by Celeste Castenada’s header.

10 minutes later, Branson got behind the Wolves’ defense and the Bulls’ Nye Day converted a one-on-one chance against Hatanaka.

Woodland’s Ari Coronado had a direct kick off a foul blocked in the upper-right corner of the net inside the final five minutes but it was a first half dominated by Branson, as Hatanaka continued to make lunging saves even in stoppage time.

Playing with four midfielders in the second half, the Wolves tied the game with 12:32 to go on a direct kick by Coronado after a Branson foul on the edge of the box. Having begun to swing momentum back their way, Coronado’s goal sparked a clear change in demeanor in the Wolves with the pressure of coming from behind lifted.

“I knew the goal was coming,” Olmedo said, saying at the time he was considering a drastic formation change. “We scored that goal and I kept it back and then the second goal came and I thought now I’m going to play defensive and it paid off. That first goal changed the whole momentum of the game.”

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LaLa Marin put the Wolves ahead with 5:40 to go after the senior was able to create space for a shot from nearly parallel with the goal that trickled in.

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What followed was a seemingly interminable five-minute period of stoppage time that provided plenty of final chances for Branson. Hatanaka preserved the lead on multiple shots in stoppage, including saves on back-to-back shots by Branson.

“I was asking the assistant referee why four,” Olmedo said. “Why are we doing four? Longest four minutes of any game but we kept our composure. We knew they only had three (players in the center) so we had to win it with four (midfielders).”

Hatanaka has been a part of all four Section championships and the UC Santa Barabra-bound senior gained further confidence in making the jump to the collegiate level after her play throughout the Wolves’ playoff run.

“It’s given me a lot of confidence,” She said. “Especially with the PK wins we just had, I’ve never really been the best at those but coming off two wins like that and then finishing off with those saves-I have a lot of confidence going in.”

Of the Wolves’ four playoff runs, this year’s may have been the most improbable. The Wolves lost multiple starters to season-long injuries before their first game and still more in the last month. One of those to go down was senior Mia Marin, who after playing a major role in Woodland’s previous three Section titles, was forced to watch from the sideline during this year’s run.

“It’s been really difficult for me,” Marin admitted. “I grew up with these girls and they’ve always given me energy on the field and supported me but it’s been different from the sideline. I knew they could do it, but it’s been different.”

They overcame it all, playing in higher divisions and finding ways to win throughout a playoff run that has captured the attention of a town.

“They never gave up,” Olmedo said. “That’s one of the qualities of the team. They never pressured themselves. They weren’t thinking about winning, they were just thinking about having fun and going out there and playing. That releases a lot of pressure off them and it showed.”

Woodland ends the season ranked 16th in the state and 54th in the nation. They’ll lose a core of seven seniors-Coronado, Hatanaka, LaLa Marin, Mia Marin, Madison Sharpe, Jessica Salas, and Iris Vanden Branden-but leave behind younger players like Victoria Garcia and Izabella Diaz-Pizano who proved capable in extended time this season.

“I have a lot of mixed emotions,” Coronado said afterwards. “I’m happy, I’m sad. I can’t believe we did it. There was no doubt in our head that we were ever going to give up. What’s helped us this whole season was always having the biggest heart and going out there and representing our school, our town and ourselves. It’s been a long journey but it’s awesome that we brought a regional championship home.”

At least one member of four-time Section champions will be back next year.

About the Author

Matt Murphy is the sports writer at The Daily Democrat and has been with the paper since August 2017. He graduated from Chico State with a B.A. in Journalism in 2015 and grew up in Woodland, attending Woodland High from 2007-2011. Matt loves all things sports but does not want to talk about your fantasy football league or the 2017 SF Giants. Reach the author at mmurphy@dailydemocrat.com
or follow Matt on Twitter: @woodlandsports.